Fathers sue Netherlands for letting jihadist sons leave

The fathers of three Dutch jihadists who went to Iraq and Syria to join jihadist groups, are planning to sue the Dutch state because it did not do enough to stop the boys from leaving.

The fathers are holding the Netherlands responsible for their sons' departures, and in two cases, subsequent deaths, Het Parool reports. They feel that the State could have done more to keep their sons here, like confiscating their passports or taking them into custody.

Farid Bouamran, the father of Achraf who was killed in Syria early this year, is holding the municipality of Amsterdam jointly liable for his son's death. He says that the authorities knew about his son's radicalization, but took no action. According to Bouamran, his son was killed by a bomb from the coalition fighting ISIS.

One of the fathers' lawyers called the case "promising", according to the newspaper. He is first going to file a report with the State Investigation Department to find out which government services failed in keeping the boys in the Netherlands. He also advised his clients to start civil liability proceedings.